Procter and Gamble, P&G, has tasked the Federal government, civil society as well as the private sector to prioritize access to menstrual health products, hygiene education and campaigns against stigmatisation of menstrual health.
P&G in collaboration with the National Centre for Women Development, NCWD, recently build the capacity of Nigerian women artisans , as P&G made available 2,000 packs of Always sanitary pads to aid the menstrual health education sessions during the training.
Speaking, Mokutima Ajileye who is the Managing Director at Procter & Gamble Nigeria, said the women artisans presence worth celebrating as it breaks gender stereotypes in a field dominated by men.
“I would like to applaud the efforts of NCWD on this laudable feat of integrating the informal economy into the mainstream capacity building. When capacities of women in this field are developed, more opportunities abound for women which ultimately lead to better economic outcomes for them and their families.”
She also stated that P&G has continued to demonstrate its commitment to local capacity building through several initiatives like the Women Entrepreneur Development Program (WEDP) which focuses on the training of women entrepreneurs across Africa.
P&G also has the Small and Medium enterprises, SMEs Academy which has trained over 2,000 SMEs in Nigeria on essential skills to integrate into the global value chain.
“I am excited at the integration of menstrual health management training in this program. Menstrual health management is one of the focus of our citizenship programs in Nigeria due to the accompanying health issues linked with poor menstrual health
According to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), more than 52 million women in Nigeria experience menstruation and more than 50 per cent without access to sanitary pads.
“At P&G, we are committed to ensuring that nothing gets in the way of the success of young girls and women. Through P&G’s Always Keeping Girls in School Program we are able to do just that, having donated over 30 million pads to over 300,000 girls in Nigeria and over 1 million girls across Africa,” commented Ajimeye.
“Last October, we launched the 2021/22 Always Keeping Girls in School (HAGGIS) program in Nigeria to raise the awareness of menstrual hygiene management and support adolescent girls in schools across the federation.”
The AKGIS program is reaching thousands of girls in the Federal Capital Territory and Ogun State with a year’s supply of sanitary pads and menstrual health education.
To demonstrate P&G’s continued commitment as a force for good, the company will launch the 2022/2023 Always Keeping Girls in School Program in more states across Nigeria to touch the lives of more girls in the rural and peri-urban areas.
Attendants at the event included the Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development, Dr. Asabe Vilita Bashir, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the civil society actors.